2017 THE DOCTOR Shiraz

The Family Collection

2018 The Kester Shiraz

Variety:     Shiraz (99%)  Viognier (1%)
Region:     Lower Hunter Valley
Vine Age:  Planted on own roots in 1923

Tasting Notes

Showing all the hallmark signatures from a great Hunter Vintage, The Kester 2018 is a superb release. The colour of this wine is rich and deep, giving an indication of the power you will find in the glass - bright black and purple, with deep scarlet at the rim.

 The Shiraz fruit aromas are latent inky blackberry, immersed in deep perfumes of kirsch with lovely floral sweetness; following this is a lift of blueberry, and delicate Viognier hints of white bloom and jasmine. The classic old-vine elements chime in with grand flourish – aromas of juniper foremost, with hints of thyme, bay leaf, black olive, and espresso in reinforcement.The defining characteristics of this Kester are found on the palate - the wine’s lavish black fruit density and deep tannins are the heart of this complex expression of Hunter Valley terroir. Flavours are rich, concentrated, and intense, with powerful and inky black and blue fruits weaved in flawless union; delicious black cherry, boysenberry, dark chocolate, and liquorice-like characters unite, all bonding with satiny polish yet also a tongue staining flavour persistence. Superb tannin texture meshes fruit and French oak, entwined to delivering lasting momentum and flair. 

 Drink: With decanting you can enjoy this special wine on release, but it will also greatly reward cellaring for 20+ years.

Technical Data

Alcohol: 14.3%

The Family Collection Range

2018 The Wife Shiraz 

Varieties:   Shiraz 90 %,  Viognier 10 %

Region:      Lower Hunter Valley

Vine Age:   Shiraz 20years+, Viognier planted 2010      
 

This wine is handmade for my wife Amanda, who loves aromatic and gentle reds.          

Tasting Notes  

This wine’s youthful freshness shows in the glass – its colour is scarlet red with fresh blue highlights at the rim. Aromatically, the co-fermentation of Shiraz & Viognier delivers a complex melange where black cherry is supreme, revelling in fresh perfumed flashes of violet-flower and potpourri lavender. The unmissable allure of Viognier is woven throughout, interlacing with opulent perfumes of orange flowers and fresh apricot; this harmony continues on the palate, where the Shiraz supplies juicy depth whilst the Viognier  provides silky softness. Characters drift from black-berries in cream to apricot tart with delicious textural gentleness. This is all crowned by subtly spicy oak, giving final hints of vanilla, cinnamon, and gingerbread to support the wine’s fresh fruit flavour.

Irresistible – obviously!

Drink : 2020  to 2030 
  

Technical Data

Alcohol  14.3% 

pH 3.43

Single Vineyard Range

2019 McKelvey Vineyard Chardonnay

Variety:     100% Chardonnay       

Vineyard:  McKelvey Vineyard

Region:     Pokolbin, Hunter Valley               

Vine age:  Vines planted in 1998                                                 

Tasting Note

The soils are rich red-brown clay loam overlying a base of powdery limestone, on a gentle hillside with a north to north-west aspect.

Colour is a pearl-like shimmer of chiffon-lemon-yellow tinged with opaline light green.

Aromas are intense and sophisticated, ripe citrus and stone fruits mixing with myrtle and verbena, tantalisingly elegant layers of barrel ferment giving unobtrusive dimensions of spice with the gentle fumé elements of sandalwood, mineral, and gun-flint simmering in the background.

The palate shows a ripe fruit length, seductively textured, nuanced with creamy, nutty, and ethereal mealy softness like nougat and fine pistachio.Oak is very subtle, almost saline, contributing a sustained savoury lightness plus a final dusting of spice and vanilla.

Drink: Now - 2028.  
224 dozen made.

Technical Data
Alcohol:  13%
pH:          3.18
TA:          6.5        

2013 Museum Semillon

2013 was a terrific Vintage for Semillon, creating wines that possess effortless concentration and balance.

Now seven years old, this Semillon still shows full-bore delicious tropical aromas, revelling in youthfully bright scents of lime, lemon, guava and white pineapple.

Flavours are fine and focused too, retaining the crisp citrus freshness, elegance and length of classic Hunter Semillon; the more mature characters of vanilla shortbread and white-clover honey are gradually building and will continue to amplify. It’s an impressively complete wine that is both vibrant and soft, drinking wonderfully now and for the next 10 years.

Technical data

Alc  11.3%

pH   2.94